Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-31
THE oEGENERATEp pERWSH
rramps and Vasabonds Of the Lowest
observation-disclosures AppearAnce.


observation-disclosures Appearance.
As everywhere in Moslem countries. in
Persia the dervish has degenerated. For
merly assimilating the noblest thought,
the highest religious and political asplra-
tions of which Islam Is capable, the rank
and file Of the various religious orders
comprised under the name of dervish is
..pla. composed Of tramps and vagabonds
y the lowest description. Many OF them
nail from northern India, and their type
of features differs quite radically from
that of the average Persian. There are
Arabs among them as well. negroes from
Africa, koor,is. Turcomans and Afghans.
All of them. however, of high and low de-
gree. are .'benghis, i. e., :mokers OF
..bengh'' or hasheesh.
As TO their appearance. one can indeed
speak of il rs picturesque raggedness,
and. as rule, they wear their rags
with elegance. The outfit of one of these
gentry is not very extensive. A more or
less soiled and torn cottage garment,
tiger or bear skin slunG over the shoulder
(bedstead and mattress both, a long stick
of generous dimensions, whose carved
handle frequently forms the Arabic char
acter for IVA ALL" :he horn of an argali,
or mountain shee,, Ito give notice of his
approach to the oenevolenp: hasheesh
pipe and a ''kaeshkull'' Ia cOcoanut shell
to receive his food I'M: these are about all
his earthly belongings. For the rest he
depends on charity, which never fails
him.
While in certain town he will always
be found at a certain street corner, where
abundant shade and a cool draught OF air
are ALWAYS Ia he had. He will interrupt
his meditations. his slumber or his smoke
Of hasheesh at any ones approach to
stretch forth his hand without rising and
say, .Yahakk'' ,Oh. eternal truthN, and
| then just rs leisurely and impassively
pocket the coin donated. IL unsuccessful,
he will. especially if the person be non
Moslem howl dismal imprecations after
him, but witt out in tine least flying into
passion.
This, then, is specimen of the average
| begging deryiSh. the class which makes
| up nine-tenths Of the fraternity. They
| are indolent, happy 60 lucky, thorough!
disreputable fellows, who are only pre-
rented 10y laziness from being midnight
marauders, thieves and murderers. While
| they are fanatics they practice few OF the
rules for behavior and prayers enjoined
| by the Koran.
They stream from every part Of Persia
into the capital at New Years." the
greatest festival time in Persia Then
| they elect visible head for their order
for the ensuing year, and reap golden
| harvest Of aims.
A step or two higher than these men
| are those dervishes called Able AZad''
| (Free People. Like the Others they are
eternal wanderers, and likewise are ad-
tlicted to the noXious drug. While there
are many among them who are popular
| eXhorters and street corner expounders OF
the sacred Scriptures, the bulk OF the
Ahle AZad are curbstone poets, profes-
sional story tellers and wandering trouba-
dours. II is claimed that many of them
are secretly unbelievers, theists or Baab-
ties. 1t is certain, at any rate, that after
| the attempted assassination Of the present
| shah by several Baabite conspirators there
were a number Of these dervishes exc
cuted, along with hundreds of other fol-
| lowers Of Fl Baab.-Wolf Won Schier-
brand in New York Commercial Adver-
| tiser.